Accenting device for music-players.



T. P. BROWN.

AGGENTING DEVICE FOR MUSIC PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1909.

1,01 1,567. Patented Dec. 12,1911.

3 SHEHTS-BHEET l.

Y limb/afar T. P. BROWN. AGGBNTING DEVICE FOR MUSIC PLAYERS. APPLICATION FILED 111211119, 1909.

1,01 1,567. Patented Dec.12,1911.

3 SHBETSBHEET 2.

T. P. BROWN. v ACCENTING DEVICE FUR MUSIC PLAYERS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1909.

1,01 1,567. Patented Dec. 12,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

90 55 {VJ M I W for playing notes louderor accenting UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

- PLAYER ACTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER,

OI MASSACHUSETTS.

KASSACHUBETTS, A CORPORATION ACOEHTING- DEVICE "FOR MUSIC-PLAYERS;

lpeclflcation ofhttera Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Application nled June 19, 1800. Serial No. 503,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Trmononn P. Brown, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the count of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, ave invented a new and useful Accenting Device for Music- Players, of which the following 18 a speclhcation.

A common arrangement in automatic music players is to connect a vacuum mducing apparatus, such as the ordlnary feeders, through a springressed reservoir or receiver to the set 0 striking neumatics so that the action of the vacuum inducing device is regulated and evened by the recelver. Players have. also been provlded with another or second passage between the'vacuum inducing apparatus and the set of striking pneumatics, which second passage is controlled by a valve which is normallyclosed and which can be opened by a hand lever or by a pneumatic controlled from a supplemental opening in the tracker-bar when itis desired toconnect the vacuum inducing apparatus directly with the wind-chtelft e same. In these arrangements the supplemental perforations in the music sheet always come in substantial transverse line with the perforations for the notes which are to be accented. In all these devices with which I am familiar the auxiliary reservoir or receiver always remains in communication with the vacuum inducing ,device even,

when the latter is directly connected to the set of striking pneumatics. This'has the d18- advantage that although the ke s of the notes to be accented can be struc directlyfrom the vacuum inducing apparatus, the effect is modified by the receiver,"so that it is not easy to obtain a sharp or clear-cut accent. Another disadvantage of this old arrangement is that when the ordinary playing is being done through the receiver v or auxiliary reservoir the same is colorless and cannot be quickly regulated and controlled by the vacuum inducing apparatus. To overcome these disadvantages I have simplified and rearranged the parts in the following new combinations.

In my improved device the vacuum inducing apparatus communicates by a direct passage at all times with the striking pneumatics, the receiver or reservoir is arranged to have communication into said direct passage, and the connection between the receiverand the direct passage is controlled by a valve'which is normally open for the usual or soft playing, and is closed for accenting. This enables me to obtain very marked efi'ects. a

In Elaying the ordinary accompaniments or so notes the playing is directly under the control of the vacuum inducing apparatus, although the reservoir tends to regulate the pressure. Moreover when the auxiliary reservoir or receiver is cut off the accenting can be made very sharp and clean -cut with any desired degree of loudness as the notes are-then directly under the control of the vacuum inducing apparatus, and

there is no auxiliary reservoir or other parts to drag and hold back the accenting,

The valve controlling the communication between the auxiliary reservoir and the direct passage between the vacuum inducing apparatus and the set of striking pneumatics may be controlled by hand oi may be controlled by a neumatic operated from supplemental per orations in the music sheet. In this arrangement the supplemental perforations in the music sheet come substantially in transverse line with the perforations for the notes which are not to be selected or accented, so that in ordinary playing the valve will be held open. When a note or notes is to be accented the supplemental perforation is discontinued which causes the pneumatic to shift the valve, thus giving direct connection between the vacuiun inducing apparatus and set of pneumatics and cutting off the auxiliary reservoir or storer, no matter what its position happens to be.

It does not follow as a matter of course that the selected notes necessarily will be played loud or accented. They may all of them be played soft, as the complete control of the se lected notes is given to the operator, and he can play the same with any force desired. But usually the selected notes are accented, be cause in playing the melody it is usually a case of playing one or usually at the most three notes at a time which does not necessitate a lar e amount of wind, whereas the playing 0 the accompaniment usually does require a large quantity of wind, as'there are often a great many notes struck at one time. 7 Therefore the equalizer or reservoir is very desirable for use in connection with the accompaniment.

In practice the supplemental perforations in the music sheet are made to commence slightly in advance of the leading ends of the perforations for the notes not to be selected or accented, so that the time of the operation of the pneumatic valve can be regulated.

When oneor more notes of a chord is or are to be selected or accented, the leading ends of the perforations for the notes not to be selected or accented are advanced beyond the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to be selected or accented and the supplemental perforations in the music sheet are arranged to end between the leading ends of the perforations for the notes not to be selected or accented and the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to be selected or accented, and preferably slightly before the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to be selected or accented; in this way .i the notes of the chord not to be accented will start in operation first under the action of the reservoir, the valve will close, the notes to be accented will be brought into operation, and as they work under higher pressure will overtake the notes which are not to be accented, and the result will be a chord struck with the notes to be accented being given a heavier blow.

l5 of a music sheet and tracker-bar connected therewith; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the wind sheet showing the striking pneumatics, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Referring to the drawings and in detail AA designate a pair of feeders which may be operated by pedals in the usual manner, and which feeders form the vacuum inducing apparatus. The feeders or vacuum inducing apparatus connect through openings 10 with a wind trunk B, which latter conp nects by pipe P with the wind chest G which contains or operates the set of striking pneumatics controlled by primary and secondary valves E and F as shown in Fig. 2, which a be arran 'ed in an of the ordinary ways. It will beseen by this arrangement that there is a direct passage between the vacuum inducing apparatus and the set of striking pneumatics consisting of the holes 10-10, wind-trunk B and pipe P-v is provided with asprin S tendingfnorervoir communicates by one or more passages vacuum inducing apparatus and the wind chest. As shown, one passage 11 is controlled by a valve 12 which may be oper-v ated by suitable connections 13 from a hand lever 14;, the hand lever 1% being shifted to close the valve 12 when it is desired to se from the music sheet. For this purpose one of the passages 11 is controlled by a valve 15 which is operated by a link 16 connected valve box 18 is arranged on top of the wind trunk. This valve box has a valve 19 oper ated by a diaphragm 20 and is provided with the usual bleeder passage 200. passage 21 is arranged between the wind-trunk B and the space above the diaphragm 20. The valve 19 works in a space having a communication 22 with the atmosphere, and a communication 23 with the pneumatic 1?,

the diaphragm 20 and also with a supple mental opening D in the tracker-bar T which has the usual openings H for controlling the striking pneumatics.

N designates the note sheet. The same is to be selected or accented, which perforations are not lettered, and also with perforations for the notes to be selected or accented which are marked X. Said note sheet is also provided with supplemental perforations Y controlling the supplemental opening D. The note sheet is wound back and forth between the usual rolls or spools so as to pass from the spool L to the spool M for playing in the usual manner. It will be noticed that the supplemental perforations in the note sheet come substantially in transverse line with the perforations for the notes not to be selected or accented, and that when the notes to be selected or accented come over the note openings in'the tracker the supplemental opening D is covered. It also will be noticed that the supplemental perforations Y are arranged to commence slightly in advance of the leading ends of the perforations for the notes not to be selected or accented, so that the valve 15 will be fully opened and the reservoir R inoperation at the time the leadin ends of the perforations for the notes not to e selected or accented come into operation. It will also be .noticed that the suppl'ernental perforations Y end slightly in tions X for the notes to be selected or accented, so that the valve 15 will be closed and the reservoir cut oiffrom the direct paslect or accent. Preferably, however, the se- H lecting or accenting is automatically, done to the movable wall of a pneumatic 17. A,

pipe 24 communicates with the space under An auxiliary reservoir or receiver y is arranged on the. back of the wind t k and mally to open the same; his auxiliary res- 11 with the direct passage between the provided with perforations for the notes not III ,advance of the leading ends of the perfora- 4 stant the note or notes to be selected or accented, comes or come into operation.

In case a chord is to be played in which one or more notes thereof is or are to be accented or selected as compared with the others, thesame are arranged as shown at the transverse-line V, that is, the leading ends of the perforations for the notes not to be selected or accented are arranged slightly in advance of the leading end or ends of the'note or notes to be selected or accented, and the supplemental perforation the reservoir in operation, the perforation Y ,will end, the valve 15 will be closed, and

at the time the note X comes into operation there will be a direct communication between the vacuum inducing apparatus and the wind chest, without the reservoir B. By this arrangement not only will the note or notes X be selected, but the force with which the same is distinguished may be readily controlled by the operator,'as the operator for selecting or accenting has each note directly under the control of the vacuum inducing apparatus without the neutralizing effect of the reservoir. It also will be noticed that on the transverse line W an accented note X is arranged slightly in advance of three accompaniment notes. This arrangement may be used when it is desired to accent or individualize particularly a note or notes of a chord, the slight interval of time in which the accented note or notes comes into operation before the accompaniment notes, giving for some compositions the desired effect of particularly emphasizing or accenting a certain note or notes of a chord. Also as before pointed out, the playing of the accompanying notes can be regulated as the air does not go through the auxiliary reservoir, the auxiliary reser-- voir simply acting as a storer to give smooth playing.

When the automatic valve 15 is employed in connection with the heretofore peculiarly arranged music sheet, the valve 1 2 is kept closed. The valve 15 when in operation is normally open. It is shown in F 1g. 1 in the position it assumes when a note is to be selected or accented. It will be noticed that not only can the selected note be accented, but if it is desired it can be played lighter or with any degree of loudness, as when the same comes into operation it is directly under'the control of the vacuum inducing aparatus. Thus extremely artistic effects can e obtained. f

.jWhen the music is put in the apparatus which does not have the supplemental perforations Y, the valve 15 will be closed, and the selecting or accenting can then be done bythe han controlled valve 12.

The details and arrangements herein shown and described may be greatly varied by a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the'claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States is 1. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a vacuum inducing apparatus, a set of striking pneumatics, a storage reservoir for regulating the pressure between the vacuum inducing apparatus and the' striking pneumatics, a normally open valve controlling'the action of the reservoir, and adapted to cut the reservoir ofl without stopping the connection between the vacuum induclngapparatus and the striking pneumatics, a pneumatic co trolling the valve, an opening in the trac er-bar for control ling the pneumatic, and a music sheet hav-- apparatus and the set of striking pneumatics,

a storage reservoir havlng communication into said passage, a valve for connecting or cutting off the reservoir from said direct,

passage, said passage being unaffected by said valve, a pneumatic for operating said valve, a supplemental opening in the tracker, and a music sheet having supplemental per for-ations for controlling said opening substantially in transverse line with the notes not to be selected or accented, the supplemental perforations therein commencing slightly in advance of the leading ends of the perforations for the notes not to be se lected or accented.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a vacuum inducing apparatus, a set of striking pneumatics, a direct passage between the vacuum inducing apparatus and said set of striking pneumatics, a storage reservoir having communication into said passage, a valve for connecting or cutting off the reservoir from said direct passage, said, passage being normally open and independent of said valve, a pneumatic for operating said valve, a supplemental opening in the tracker, and a music sheet having supplemental perforations for consage, a pneumatic for operating said valve,

a supplemental opening in the tracker, and a music sheet having supplemental perforations for controlling said opening substantially in transverse line with the notes not to he selected or accented, the supplemental openings therein commencing slightly in advance of the leading ends of the perforations of the notes not to be selected or accented, and endin, slightly in advance of the leading ends 0. the perforations for the notes to be selected or accented.

In an automatic musical instrument,

the combina ion of a vacuum inducing paratus, a set or striking pneumatics, a (ll rect passage between the vacuum inducing apparatus and set of striking pneumatics, storage Z'QSEIVG'ET having communication into said passage, a valve for connecting or cutting off the reservoir from said direct passage, 5. pneumatic for operating said valve, a supplemental opening in the tracker, a music sheet having supplemental perforations for controlling said opening substantially in transverse line with the notes not to be selected or accented, the erforations in the music sheet for the notes not to be selected or accented being slightly in advance of the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to be selected or accented, and supplemental perforations in the music sheet ending between the leading ends of the perforations tor the notes not to be selected or accented and the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to be selected or socented,

6; in an automatic musical instrument,

the combination of a vacuum inducing apparatus, a set of striking neumatics, a direct passage between the vacuum inducing apparatus and said set of str1k1ng neumatics,

a storage reservoir having communication into said passage, a valve for connecting or cutting oi the reservoir from said direct passage, a pneumatic for operating said valve, a supplemental opening in the tracker, a music sheet having supplemental perforations :tor controlling said opening substantially transverse line with the notes not to be selected or accented, the leading ends of the perforations for the notes not to be se lected or accented bein slightly advance of the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to h .cted or accented, supplemental ms in the music sheet between the ends oi the perforations for the he selected. or accented and the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to he selected or accented, the supplemental perforations ending slightly after the leading ends of the perforations not to be selected or accented and slightly before the leading ends of the perforations for the notes to be selected or accented,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing A. E. FAY, C. Fosmis'r Wesson.

- witnesses, 

